Vault



A. BGUN. Er AL Oct. 29, 1935.

VAULT Filed MaICh 25, 1955 fr. F a .4

DA O T A E .V m

w/ QM l ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VAULT Alex Begun and Robert W. Wise, Detroit, Mich. Application March 25, 1935, Serial No. 12,762

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 'i2-7) This application relates to certain new and useful improvements in burial vaults.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a three-layer self-sealing burial vault composed of nested inner and outer concrete recep- -tacles between which is a poured asphalt receptacle. The vault comprises a body and a cover, and each of these parts is made of three receptacles, preformed and dried before the cover is placed upon the body so that the completion of the seal of the vault is accomplished by nothing more than the operation of placing:

the cover upon the body of the vault.

A still further object is to provide a novel seal construction for burial vaults and the like.

Further aims and objects of the invention will presently be understood upon reference to the following detailed descriptive matter, for an understanding of which reference should be had to the appended drawing. In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away;

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary sections of the cover and body parts at the seal; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section showing the vault seal as created when the cover is placed upon the body'.

The vault here shown comprises a body part l0 and a cover part Il. Each of these parts is made of three cup-shaped receptacles, the inner and outer ones of which are of reinforced concrete and the intermediate one of which is of liquid tar or asphalt. In manufacturing a vault of the character here shown, each part is separately formed and since the process used for manufacturing one part is identical with that used for manufacturing the other, the process will 'be described with reference solely to the layers forming each part, without specific reference to the part manufactured.

o In manufacturing a part, the rst step is to pour the inner layer a in a suitable expansible mold with the receptacle transverse wall b at the top of the mold. When the inner layer is poured it is left to dry for about twenty-four 45 hours, the time depending largely upon the weather; after the inner layer is completely dried the mold is expanded about one quarter of an inch to form a space around the inner layer. Into this space is poured liquid asphalt to form 50 the intermediate layer c, and of course the transverse surface d of the intermediate layer will be at the top of the mold. The intermediate layer is left to dry for about two hours, depending upon the weather, and after it is dried the mold 5g is expanded for a distance equal to the thickness desired for the outer layer e which is then poured, its transverse surface ,f being at the top of the mold. The outer layer is left to dry for about twenty-four hours, after which the mold is removed from the thus formed three-layer 5 vault part. v

The finished castings are substantially of the cross section shown in Figs. 2 and 3 so that when the cover Il is placed upon the body I0 the tongue l2 of the seal, formed on the body l0, 10 will project into the groove between cover layers a and e formed by the asphalt layer c with the result that the latter will flow under pressure into the space between the body I Il and the cover Il at their mutual seal and assume the con- 15 figuration shown in Fig. 4.

The body and cover parts are completely fabricated in the manufacturing establishment where the vaults are made, and shipped separately when thoroughly dried to the cemetery Where 20 the vault is to receive a casket. The placing` of the cover on the body of the vault completes the sealing of the vault and is all that is necessary to form a completely sealed three-layer vault.

While three-layer vaults are by no means new, 25 it isvbelieved to be new to have a three-layer vault whose ilnal sealing is accomplished merely by the juxtaposition of the cover and the body of the wall, without the necessity for pouring asphalt at the cemetery or place of use of the 30 vault. Further, While three-layer 'vaults are known, it is believed to be new to have a threelayer vault whose body and cover parts are mutually joined by a tongue and groove seal Wherein the groove is normally filled with asphalt 35 which spreads and` completes the seal when the tongue is fitted thereinto by placing the cover on the body, with the asphalt layers of the body and cover parts being mutually joined and integrated merely by the act of placing the cover 40 upon the vault body.

Now having described the vault here shown, its seal, and a method of manufacture for the same, reference should be had to the claim which follows for a determination of the monopoly sought to be covered herein..

We claim: A

A three-layer vault comprising a body part and a cover part, each part before being associated with the other comprising inner and outer layers of concrete between which is a layer of asphalt, one part having a tongue and the other part having an asphalt-filled groove `into which the tongue fits when the parts'are placed in association, the asphalt layer of one part being cxposed at the tongue, and the asphalt layer of the other being in integrated connection with the asphalt which lls the groove the tongue including two concrete layers between which and protected by which is the asphalt layer thereof, the asphalt filling the groove being protected by the concrete layers oi?. the grooved parts, which layers at their edges, are separated to define the groove, the asphalt layers of the parts being integrated when the parts are brought together 4through the mutual engagement of the asphalt layers with the asphalt which fills the groove.

ALEX BEGUN. ROBERT W. WISE. 

